Electric circuit

Abstract

An electronic circuit is equipped with a lid-shaped heat sink made from aluminum sheet. Components are held in contact with the wall of the heat sink by means of lugs connected to the heat sink. The lugs are formed by bending U-shaped parts of the aluminum sheet out of the plane of the aluminum sheet.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An electric circuit comprising: 
       a printed circuit board,  
       a component provided on the printed circuit board, and  
       a heat sink secured to the printed circuit board,  
       characterized in that the heat sink is a sheet of thermally conductive material having an opening having a first edge and a second edge, said sheet further having:  
       a cooling plate portion, said first edge being in said cooling plate portion,  
       a wall portion extending from said second edge and directly from and substantially perpendicular to said cooling plate portion, and  
       a lug extending directly from said first edge, said lug being substantially perpendicular to said cooling plate portion,  
       said component and said lug being arranged such that the lug presses the component into thermal contact against said wall portion.  
     
     
       2. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said sheet is made of aluminum. 
     
     
       3. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said lug, said wall portion, and a portion of said heat sink form a U-shaped structure. 
     
     
       4. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said opening has a given surface area, and said lug has a surface area substantially equal to the given surface area. 
     
     
       5. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 4 , characterized in that said lug, said wall portion and a portion of said heat sink form a U-shaped structure. 
     
     
       6. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said aperture extends into said wall portion, second edge being in said wall portion. 
     
     
       7. An electric circuit comprising: 
       a printed circuit board,  
       a component provided on the printed circuit board, and  
       a heat sink secured to the printed circuit board,  
       characterized in that the heat sink is a sheet of thermally conductive material having an opening having a first edge and a second edge, and  
       said sheet comprises:  
       a wall portion extending from said second edge,  
       a lug extending from said first edge, and  
       a flat cooling plate which extends parallel to the printed circuit board, said first edge being in said cooling plate,  
       said component and said lug being arranged such that the lug presses the component into thermal contact against said wall portion.  
     
     
       8. An electric circuit comprising: 
       a printed circuit board,  
       a plurality of components provided on the printed circuit board, and  
       a heat sink secured to the printed circuit board,  
       characterized in that the heat sink is a sheet of thermally conductive material having:  
       a corresponding plurality of openings each having a respective first edge and a respective second edge,  
       a corresponding plurality of lugs, each said lug extending from a respective first edge, and  
       a wall portion extending from said respective second edges,  
       said components and said lugs being arranged such that each lug presses a corresponding component against said wall portion.  
     
     
       9. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that each said first edge is formed in a cooling plate portion of said sheet, and 
       said wall portion and each said lug are each substantially perpendicular to said cooling plate portion.  
     
     
       10. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that each said lug, said wall portion, and a portion of said heat sink form a corresponding U-shaped structure. 
     
     
       11. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 10 , characterized in that each said first edge is formed in a cooling plate portion of said sheet, and 
       said wall portion and each said lug are each substantially perpendicular to said cooling plate portion.  
     
     
       12. An electric circuit as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that each said opening has a respective surface area, and each said lug has a respective surface area equal to the respective surface area of the corresponding opening.